Collaborators, Moral Objectors and Fellow Travelers. The Actions, Reactions and Inactions of 13 Nazi-era European Leaders Book Reviews

Collaborators, Moral Objectors and Fellow Travelers. The Actions, Reactions and Inactions of 13 Nazi-era European Leaders by David Weiss Book Summary

Introduction:

Fellow Traveler: A person who is not a member of a particular group or political party, but who sympathizes with the group's aims and policies. —(definition from Oxford Language Dictionary)

The term Fellow Traveler is often used in relation to communist nations, but it is even more relevant when discussing fascism. When Stalin began setting up the Soviet satellite nations he searched for allies in places like Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. While Soviet agents and operatives were already infiltrating these nations, Stalin wanted and needed more support from local and national-level politicians. He found this support coming from a variety of people who shared many Soviet beliefs and Stalin's basic world vision. Hitler needed Fellow Travelers for the same reasons and used them throughout his reign of terror.

The Nazis main philosophical pillars were anti-Semitism and the belief that some ethnicities are superior to others. Hitler used these two core beliefs to reach out to potential Fellow Travelers. Leaders like Josef Tiso and Miklos Horthy had great antipathy toward Jews. Hitler used this commonality to further their relationship. Mussolini and Ion Antonescu shared Hitler's belief in ethnic superiority. This core belief led to the strong alliances between Germany, Italy, and Romania. Even though Hitler's Axis partners were not technically Nazis, they shared certain core, crucial beliefs. Their goals were not always the same as Hitler's, but there was significant overlap. In many cases, fear and hatred of communism and the Soviet Union were also shared beliefs. Ultimately, Hitler needed more than just Nazis to take over Europe. He needed co-collaborators, co-conspirators, and Fellow Travelers.

A moral objector is a person who opposes the goals of the aggressor. During the 1930's and early 1940's this meant openly opposing anti-Semitism and the belief in a Master Race. Even if their country could have found benefit to aligning with Hitler, a moral objector simply would not agree to such an alliance. In some cases, like with Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, a leader could be a moral objector but still be forced into an alliance with the Nazis. In cases such as this, leaders threw obstacles into the Nazi military and political operations.

Some of the leaders, such as Enver Hoxha and Vaclav Havel, are included in this book for special reasons. Enver Hoxha came to power in Albania due to his successful guerilla war against the Nazis in 1944. Hoxha and his informal army drove the Nazis out of the country. Hoxha, however, unleashed forty-plus years of terror on his people. The Nazi invasion of Albania led directly to Hoxha's takeover which imprisoned and abused Albania's population until the early 1990's.

Czechoslovakia was taken over by the Soviet Union after World War II. This was, for the most part, a reaction to the terror of the Nazis. Stalin wanted a sphere of influence to protect his nation and to help expand its influence. Oppressive Soviet rule in Czechoslovakia lasted until the very last days of 1989.  Vaclav Havel and his pro-Democratic partners in Czechoslovakia put an end to this Moscow-dominated rule. Havel had to fight the history of both communism and Nazism. When Havel spoke to the liberated people of Prague on New Years Eve 1990 the country was finally back to its rightful, pre-Nazi existence. The aftershocks of Hitler's regime choked both Albanian and Czechoslovak life for half a century.

These thirteen men were guided and mis-guided by their convictions and by the desires of their citizens. Some of these leaders were deeply anti-Semitic and others were highly ethical Humanists. This book gives readers an important view of the Holocaust and some of the men who helped and hindered Hitler.

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Collaborators, Moral Objectors and Fellow Travelers. The Actions, Reactions and Inactions of 13 Nazi-era European Leaders (David Weiss) Book Reviews 2024

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